Focusing and finding attachment for cameras



C. B. AUSTIN May 12, 1936.

FOCUSING AND FINDINGATTACHMENT FOR CAMERAS Filed NOV. 5., I1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -B/ mv' MA? Jas May 12, 1936. c, B. AUSTIN i 2,040,422 FOCUSING AND FINDING ATTACHMENT FRy CAMERAS Filed NOV. 5, 1954 2 Sheets-s118812 2 fill moved downward.

Patented May 12, 1936 2,040,422

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOCUSING AND FINDING ATTACHMENT FOR CAMERAS Clyde Bird Austin, Los Angeles, Calif. Applica-tion November 5, 1934, Serial No. 751,613

8 Claims. (Cl. {i5- 37) This invention relates to a focusing and ndthe parts or later to compensate for wear in use. ing attachment for cameras and the principal Other objects, advantages and features of inobject is to provide an attachment for multiplcvention may appear from the accompanying back cameras that an image being repeatedly drawings and description thereof.

5 photographed in different positions on a single The accompanying drawings illustrate my in- 5 nlm is continuously visible to the photographer vention, in which: so he can see that the object remains in a proper Figure 1 is a side view of a multiple-back camposition relative to the film, and in focus thereera with an attachment connected thereto that with during the operation of changing the posiis constructed in accordance with this invention l tion of the nlm holder and making the plurality with many of the parts indicated semidiagram- 10 of exposures. matically and an altered position shown by dotted An object of this invention is to provide an lines.

attachment for a multiple-back camera that will Fig. 2 is a fragmental side view of the camera save time and avoid trouble in the operation of and attachment in altered position analogous to l making a plurality of exposures at designated the dotted position shown in Fig. 1. l5 spaces on a single lm inthe respect that with Fig. 3 is a side view of my attachment detached this attachment it is not'necessary as heretofore from the camera with a centering bar broken to remove the lm holder' each time an exposure away.

is made to refocus and rearrange the object in a Fig. 4 is a plan view of my attachment.

proper or desired position as the focusing and Fig. 5 is a slightly enlarged end view of my at- 20 rearrangement of the object' in position are done tachment as seen from the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. through the ground glass o'f the attachment so Fig. 6 is a view of the other end of my attachthat at all times during the operation of making ment as seen from the line 6 6 of Fig. 3.

a plurality of exposures the object is clearly visi- Fig. 7 iS an enlarged fragmental SeCIDiOnal VeW ble to the photographer, so he can instantly pause as taken on the line 'I-T of Fig. 4, with the at- 25 in the operation if the object has moved out of tachment lens removed and showing a fragmental focus or position, thereby saving time and avoidpOrfJiOn OI" the Camera t0 Which my attachment iS ing trouble. pivotally connected also showing an altered posi In other words, the 'focusing of the object and tion of my attachment by dotted lines.

- arranging it in a desired position, is not made Fg- 8 iS a Section 0n lille 8-3 0f Fig. 7. 30 through the main ground glass of the camera but Fig. 9 is a diagrammate VieW 0f a multiple lm through a small grdund glass in the attachment as associated With my attachment lens and the so that it is not necessaryas formerly to remove camera lens, indicating that all six spaces on the the nlm holder after an exposure is made for multiple lm can be moved inte focusing DOStiOn rearranging theobject, thereby saving considerwithout removing the lm holder from the 35 able time in operation. camera.

Afeature of invention is shown inthe construc- My invention includes an attachment I0 for tion and arrangement of parts in the attachment, the multiple-back Camera l l; and it iS preferably whereby it is automatically adjusted into proper pivotally connected thereto by a hinge I2 that is focus with the object as circumstances require secured to the front stationary or lens section I3 40 that the camera be lengthened or shortened. of the camera casing so the attachment can move That is, as the camera is lengthened the small in an arc when the rear movable section I 4 of the ground class in the attachment is correspondcamera casing is moved either toward or away ingly moved away from the attachment lens and from the front section. vice versa, and also the attachment is moved in The attachment I0 has the cam plates I5 se- 45 an arc so that the distance at which the lights cured to its sides so they rest on clips I 6 that of the attachment lens andthe camera lens conare secured to upward extensions I1 on the movaverge decreases as the attachment moves up in ble section I4 of the camera and are arranged an arc, and correspondingly increases as it is so that when the movable section, I4 is moved away from tite front section I3 the attachment 50 A feature of invention is shown in the conwill be moved in an arc with its lens I8 downward struction of the slide on which the small ground and its ground glass end l5 upward, and vice glass of the attachment is mounted, whereby it versa, and the purpose of thus actuating the atcan be adjusted toward or from the attachment tachment I0 is to keep its auxiliary lens 20 conlens, as may be necessary when iirst assembling tinuously in focus with the camera lens 2l 50.55

that at all times the focusing of the camera is done through the attachment by movement of the camera, and not as formerly through the camera.

In addition to the camera moving the attachment I0 in an arc to keep its auxiliary lens 2|! in focus with the camera lens the camera also moves a small auxiliary ground glass 22 in the attachment toward or from the auxiliary lens 20 in proportion to the movement of the rear section of the camera casing toward or from the `front lens section so the image of the object or scene being photographed will appear clearly thereon for focus and position thereof. That is, the rear section of the camera is connected to a sliding base plate 23 so it automatically moves the plate when moved toward or from the front section, and this sliding plate carries a vertical frame plate 24 having a rectangular opening therethrough with a seat 25 therein for the ground glass 22 which is held in place by the clips 2B and screw bolts 21.

The plate 23 has a slot 28 through which a post 29 is extended, and this post has a concentric rod 33 secured to its bottom end that extends downwardly into a recess 3| in the section |4; and the post 2S is connected to the slide plate 23 by a screw 32 so that when the section |4 is moved toward or from the front section I3 it will, through a pressure on the concentric rod 3|) correspondingly and automatically move the ground glass 22 toward or from the lens 20.

There is an elongated slot 33 in the base 34 of the attachment I0 that is in register with the slot 2l through which the post 23 also extends so that the parts just mentioned can move as described.

The plate 23 has a boss 35 at its forward end through which the screw 23 is extended so its head 36 engages one side of the boss and there is a lock nut 31 on the other side that holds the screw from endwise movement in the boss, but is free to rotate. This screw is threaded through the post- 29 and also loosely extended through the base of the vertical plate 24, and the purpose of this screw 32 is to manually adjust the ground glass 22 toward or from the lens 20 to bring them into proper focus; and the rear end 38 of this screw is slotted at 39 so it can be engaged by a tool such as a screw-driver, to adjust the parts as stated.

A set screw 40 is engaged to lock the screw 22 ln the post 29 when the parts are properly adjusted.

At the forward cnd of the base 34 of the attachment l0 there is an upright rectangular plate 4| integral with the base, that has a center opening 42 in which a lens frame 43 is secured by screw bolts 44, and this frame has a threaded opening 45 therethrough in which the lens housing 46 is secured.

The lens 20 and housing 46 are old and for that reason are not shown or described in detail.

The attachment I0 includes a three-sided housing 41 that encloses the interior parts of the attachment and is secured to the base 34 by screws 48. This housing is removable so that the interior parts can be reached for replacement, adjustment and repair.

Preferably I use my attachment with a camera known in the trade as an Eastman Multiple-Back camera that is constructed so its film holder' 49 can be shifted a predetermined distance both vertically and horizontally so a photographer can make a plurality of exposures on a single Film.

The hlm holder 49 and ground glass frame 5U and associated parts are old and well understood, and for that reason are only indicated diagrammati cally in Fig. l. Heretofore it has been necessary to remove the film holder after each exposure has been made so a repositioning and focusing of the object or scene could be made through the large ground glass of the camera.

With my invention it is not necessary now to remove the film holder when a plurality of exposures is to be made on a single lm for, as prcviously stated and described, the focusing of the camera and arranging it in proper position to he object or scene is done through my attachment.

'I'he making of a plurality of exposures on a single nlm is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 9. As seen therein a multiple nlm 5| is indicated as divided into six equal spaces 52 in which an exposure can be made. In reality these dividing lines do not appear on the lm, but the camera is constructed so the film can be shifted vertically and horizontally and centered over each space.

This shifting mechanism is also old and not shown or described in detail.

From the arrangement of parts in Fig. 9 it can readily be seen that with the lenses 2D and 2| focused on an object or screen the subject will be continuously visible through the small ground glass 22-back of the lens 20 so that if the object or scene gets out of focus or a proper position in shifting the film holder from space to space, the operation can be instantly detected through the attachment and corrected before another exposure is made.

In operation the attachment is pivotally connected to the camera so its lens is in' focus with the camera lens and also so its ground glass is in proper focus, after which a film holder and film are inserted in the rear section of the camera in the usual way. The camera is then focused on an object by looking through the attachment whichA is moved automatically while the rear section ci the camera is moved toward or from the front section; the connection of the attachment to the camera being of such a nature that a movement of the rear section, as stated. automatically keeps its lens in focus with the camera and adjusts the ground glass of the attachment.

I claim as my invention:

l. An attachment for a camera having a lens, a ground glass and nlm movable toward and from said lens, a base plate pivotally connected to said camera, an auxiliary lens supported at one end of said plate that is in focus with the lens of said camera, an auxiliary ground. glass supported adjacent the other end of said plate, and automatic means for moving said base plate in an arc when the ground glass of said camera is moved toward or from its lens to maintain a constant focus between said lenses and also to automatically move the ground glass of said attachment toward or from said auxiliary lens.

2. An attachment for a camera having a rear section movable toward and from a front section, a base plate to said attachment pivotally connected to the camera, an auxiliary lens supported at one end of said plate, an auxiliary ground glass supported adjacent the other end of said plate, manual means for adjusting said ground glass toward or from said lens, and automatic means for moving said ground glass toward or from said lens also in an arc when the rear section of said camera is moved toward or from the front section.

3. An attachment for a camera including a base plate having a lens support at its forward end, a lens in said support, a sliding plate mounted on said base plate, a frame plate at the rear end of said sliding plate, a ground glass in said frame plate, a screw for manually adjusting said ground glass toward or from said lens, a hinge connection between said base plate and a camera, and means whereby said ground glass is automatically moved toward or from said lens and also moved in an arc with said lens when the camera to which said base plate is attached is lengthened or shortened to focus it on a scene or object.

4. In an attachment for a camera the combination with a housing, a slotted base plate therein, a lens support on the forward end of said plate, a lens in said support, a slotted sliding plate mounted on said base plate so their slots are 'in register, a frame plate integral with the rear end of said sliding plate, a ground glass in said frame plate, a screw on said sliding plate for manually adjusting said ground glass toward said lens, cam plates secured to the sides of said housing, a camera to which said base plate is pivotally secured, a lens in said camera, a post extended from said camera up through the slots of said base and sliding plates that has said screw extending through its upper end, an eccentric rod secured in the lower end of said post and extended down into a recess in said camera, and extensions on said camera that engage said cams, said parts arranged so that when said camera is lengthened or shortened to focus its lens on a scene or object said housing will be moved in an are and its ground glass moved toward or from its lens to continuously keep them in focus with the camera lens.

5. In an attachment for a camera the combination with a housing, a slotted base plate therein, a lens support on the forward end of said plate, a lens in said support, a slotted sliding plate mounted on said are in register, a frame plate integral with the rear end of said sliding plate. a ground glass in said frame plate, a screw on said sliding plate for manually adjusting said ground glass toward said lens, cam plates secured to the sides of said housing, a camera to which said baseplate has its forward end pivotally secured, a lens in said camera, a ground glass in said camera, a shiftbase plate so their slots ing lm holder in said camera, a multiple lm in said holder, a post extending from said camera up through the slots in said base and sliding plates that has said screw extended through its upper end to aid in adjusting the ground glass of said attachment toward or from the attachment lens, and eccentric rod on the lower end of said post that is extended down into a recess in said camera, and extensions on said camera that engage said cams, said plates arranged so that when said camera is lengthened or shortened to focus its lens on a scene or object said housing will be moved in an arc and its ground glass toward or from its lens to continuously keep them in focus with the camera lens and also so that the scene or object will be continuously visible through said attachment so said multiple lm can be shifted from place to place without removing the holder from the camera.

6. In a focusing and finding attachment for a camera the combination with a camera having front and rear sections, a lens in the front section of said camera, an attachment pivotally connected to the front section of said camera,

a lens in said attachment that is in focus with said camera lens, and a connection between said attachment and the rear section of said camera whereby said attachment is moved in an arc to maintain a constant focus between said lens when the rear section of said camera is moved to- S' ward or from the front thereof.

'7. The combination set forth in claim 6 with. a ground finding glass in said attachment and means whereby said ground glass is automatically moved toward or from said attachment lens in :2-

proportion to the movement of said rear section toward or from the front section of said camera.

8. An attachment for a camera having a rear section movable toward or from a front section, a base plate pivotally connected to the front section of said camera, a lens support at the forward end of said plate, a lens in said support, a sliding plate mounted on said base plate, a frame plate supported at the rear end of said sliding plate, a ground glass in said frame plate, and a connection between the rear section of said camera and attachment whereby said ground glass is automatically moved toward or from said lens and the attachment is moved in an arc when the rear section of said camera is moved toward or from the front section for the purpose specified.

CLYDE BIRD AUSTIN. 

